Tulasi Acharya
Recipient of the International Nepali Literary Society
Homanath Subedi Diaspora Best Literary Award
A Note from the Author
Thank you for reading Like Water on Leaves of Taro. Your support and encouragement mean so much.
If this story touched your heart, I’d be grateful if you’d share your thoughts in a short review on Amazon, Goodreads, or wherever you enjoy discovering new books.
Your voice helps this story reach new readers.
— With gratitude,
Tulasi Acharya
Tulasi Acharya, PhD, originally from Nepal, began his American journey in 2008. He holds a Master’s in Professional Writing from Kennesaw State University, a Master’s in Women’s Studies, and a PhD in Public Administration from Florida Atlantic University. He also earned an MFA in Creative Writing from Georgia College. Dr. Acharya currently teaches English at South Georgia State College.
An accomplished multilingual author, Dr. Acharya has published over a dozen books across multiple genres. His debut English novel, Running from the Dreamland, received critical acclaim, and his bestselling Nepali novels, Mochan and Swapnabhumi, reflect his literary versatility in both Nepali and English. His academic and creative work has been published by leading publishers, including Routledge and Lexington Books, an imprint of Bloomsbury Academic.
Dr. Acharya’s short stories have earned honors such as the Certificate of Excellence from the University of New Hampshire and have appeared in numerous literary journals and newspapers, including The Kathmandu Post, The Himalayan Times, The Rising Nepal, and the MSU Roadrunner Review. In recognition of his literary achievements in the global Nepali community, he received the INLS (International Nepali Literary Society) Homanath Subedi Diaspora Best Literary Award.
In his most recent book titled, Like Water on Leaves of Taro, Acharya extends an invitation to readers to witness mourning as both personal and communal, grounded in ancient tradition yet deeply relevant in today’s fractured world.
His writing is driven by an unwavering passion for storytelling, cultural connection, and the written word.
Advance Praise for Like Water on Leaves of Taro: A Himalayan Memoir
“Acharya takes us on a heartfelt journey into life’s fragility and grief, but at every turn he reminds us that love and hope give light in dark places. Nepal may offer a foreign setting to many readers, but the emotional territory of this memoir is familiar and will reward.”
—Tony Grooms, Georgia Writers Hall of Fame inductee and award-winning author of Bombingham and The Vain Conversation
“Tracing one family’s private grief alongside cultural and spiritual traditions, Acharya's memoir is at once a meditation on loss, resilience, and the power of love.”
—Chika Unigwe, PhD, author and Townsend Prize Finalist of The Middle Daughter
“Like Water on Leaves of Taro: A Himalayan Memoir presents events and context from a fresh and honest perspective. The book highlights societal reluctance to openly discuss illnesses like cancer, especially with children, and this dynamic is artfully portrayed in the book. The writer has vividly and honestly portrayed the family calamity in the book.”
—Prakash Sayami, Nepali Film Director, writer, and producer.
“Like Water on Leaves of Taro: A Himalayan Memoir is an interdisciplinary text, which not only reflects the agonizing situation of the writer's spouse but also contributes to building public awareness about cancer. The book is a health awareness toolkit, while simultaneously conveying a family tragedy.”
—Gita Tripathee, Nepali poet, lyricist, essayist, literary critic, and scholar.
“The author’s mastery of mystery and suspense is vividly apparent by how the reader is gripped through the final page of the book.”
—Gopi Krishna Dhungana, Sub-editor of Annapurna Post
“The writer is engrossed in life, death, and meaningful life, with extensive references from philosophers, poets, essayists, and ethicists. The allusions range from a revered Hindu scripture, 'Mahabharat', and from 'Waste Land', a seminal modern poem by TS Eliot. The invocation of philosophy on the termination of life and yearning to seek meaning makes the book meditative and literary.”
—Narayan Ghimire, Editor, New Agency of Nepal RSS
“This raw and riveting memoir offers a unique perspective on the author’s experience of loss and love, death and birth within his family. Acharya pursues a Kafkaesque quest to navigate the tattered infrastructure of a health care system while honoring timeless rituals and social expectations as he seeks aid for his ailing father-in-law and grieving wife. By turns heart-stopping and poignant, this beautifully written work gives us a glimpse into the complex and intimate process of death and shows us ways to heal our souls after losses great and small. A must-read memoir!”
—Bridget Pupillo, Editor
“Acharya's marvelous memoir uncovers with deft words the slicing and severing of life that death brings both in quickness and slow motion. The writer watches death, and in its misery, he also sees seeds of hope—life pushing through like blades of grass in cracked concrete—pulling his family back from the brink of an abyss of despair In Acharya’s heartfelt ode to death, he reminds us that the dead live on—that in quiet moments they return, and with them comes a joy gently tinged with sorrow.”
—Dr. Kay Traille, Professor of History Education at Kennesaw State University
“This memoir by Dr. Acharya, focuses on various dimensions and experiences of life and death. Death is inevitable. This book also confirms that death cannot be avoided.”
— Padam Bhattarai in Annapurna Post
“The strength of this book lies in its simple presentation and reflection about life and death. In times of trouble, we often experience ambiguity and wonder what now? What next? In his book, Like Water on Leaves of Taro: A Himalayan Memoir, author Dr. Tulasi Acharya openly talks about life and death by candidly approaching the subject in a clear and simple manner designed to resonate with us all.”
—Badri Prasad Dhakal, Author
“Like Water on Leaves of Taro, by Tulasi Acharya, is an incredibly heartbreaking memoir that tells of the shared experiences of a family coming to terms with the unimaginable and untimely loss of a mother and father. Just when one thinks how much more can a family take, there is redemption. Acharya says, ‘We couldn't stop death or outrun it. But we could hold tight to the moments that mattered. The laughter around a dinner table. A hand held during a hard night. Time with the people we love- that's the part of life that stays with us. In the shadow of loss, those memories shone even brighter. They reminded me what it meant to truly live. As I sat with those thoughts, one truth settled in my heart: love was the only thing we could carry forward.’ This memoir is a poignant read that I highly recommend.”
—Elizabeth Howard, Assistant Branch Manager Calhoun-Gordon County Library
“Like Water on Leaves of Taro, Tulasi Acharya’s poignant memoir invites readers into a deeply personal story shaped by love, loss, and the shifting ground beneath a family caught between continents and generations. With lyrical honesty, Tulasi reflects on fatherhood, grief, and the rituals that hold us together—even as the world around us unravels. Set against the rich landscape of Nepal and shadowed by a global pandemic, this is a moving meditation on resilience, responsibility, and the fragile beauty of everyday life.”
—Robert Gwaltney, award-winning author of The Cicada Tree
“Mesmerizing and deeply human.”
“In Like Water on Leaves of Taro, Tulasi Acharya explores the depths of grief and resilience through the lens of personal loss and cultural tradition. Written with lyrical finesse, this powerful memoir layers the heartbreak of a global pandemic over a family's intimate sorrow, offering readers a tender, thought-provoking reflection on love, endurance, and the search for meaning in a complex world.”
—The BookLife Prize
“In Like Water on Leaves of Taro, while Acharya's homecoming is filled with frustration and grief, readers, especially those mourning the loss of a relative or friend, will appreciate and find comfort in his quiet reflection on what gives his life real substance and meaning – good health, being present to the moment, and cherishing and remembering those he loves.”
—Kristine F. Anderson, author of the award-winning Crooked Truth and the award-winning Crooked Lines
“Tulasi Acharya’s Like Water on Leaves of Taro: A Himalayan Memoir invites readers into the psychological interiority of his grief, fears, and struggles as he faces serious illness, death, and endless sadness of his beloved family members—all set in international and pandemic cultural contexts. Honest, straightforward, and provocative—this emotional memoir from a father’s, husband’s, son’s, son-in-law’s, college professor’s perspectives—is an important contribution to the memoir genre.”
—Beverly J. Armento, Award-winning author, Seeing Eye Girl: A Memoir of Madness, Resilience, and Hope
“Like Water on Leaves of Taro is more than a pandemic memoir—it is a universal story of loss, resilience, and love. With exquisite sensitivity, Dr. Tulasi Acharya explores the immigrant’s dilemma of distance and duty, the sacred bonds of family, and the redemptive power of hope even in the face of devastating grief. Set against the beauty and complexity of Nepal, his words evoke the intimacy of caregiving, the weight of tradition, and the humanity found in our shared rituals of mourning and survival.”
—Candice Louisa Daquin, Managing Editor, Lit Fox Books